AT&T complaint: Shooter made slurs, showed gun to employees

The 79-year-old disgruntled customer who opened fire inside an AT&T store in New York Mills Thursday afternoon previously made racial slurs to store employees and suggested that he would use his gun to eliminate people of different racial backgrounds, officials said.

The 79-year-old disgruntled customer who opened fire inside an AT&T store in New York Mills Thursday afternoon previously made racial slurs to store employees and suggested that he would use his gun to eliminate people of different racial backgrounds, officials said.

This prompted the AT&T corporate office to ban the man, Abraham Dickan, from the store in late March, an action that set in motion the series of events that resulted in Dickan’s pistol permit being permanently revoked on Tuesday, officials said.

Just two days later, on Thursday, Dickan plotted to kill six store employees he likely believed were responsible for the loss of his right to bear arms, New York Mills Police Chief Robert Swenszkowski said Friday.

And stapled to the rambling handwritten letter in Dickan’s pocket that named the targeted employees was a copy of the official revocation, Swenszkowski said.

“He may have had a grudge against those people knowing this is why his pistol was being taken away,” Swenszkowski said.

Five of the six targeted individuals were working in the Commercial Drive store when Dickan began firing shortly after 1 p.m. Friday, but only one employee was shot before an off-duty Rome police officer, Donald Moore, shot and killed Dickan.

The injured employee, Seth Turk, 37, remained in critical condition Saturday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica.

It was months ago that Dickan, of 26 Richardson Ave. in South Utica, began harassing store employees with racist comments, repeatedly stating they should all be fired, talking loudly on his speakerphone, and showing that he carried a firearm, police said.

The employees never complained to police, however, so it wasn’t until AT&T officials sent a March 31 letter to New York Mills police that law enforcement became aware of Dickan’s troubling behavior, Swenszkowski said.

Within days of receiving the letter in early April, police Officer James Toomey talked to store about what had occurred in the past. The employees never indicated that they felt their lives were in danger and they did not ask to file any criminal complaints against Dickan, Swenszkowski said.

On Friday, Swenszkowski provided the O-D with a copy of the AT&T letter that was sent to Dickan and New York Mills police stating that Dickan’s intimidating and threatening behavior would not be tolerated. It also stated that Dickan’s wireless service was being terminated and he was no longer allowed in the store.

In the letter, AT&T representatives told Dickan:

“You have made racial slurs against two AT&T representatives and have displayed a gun in the store while making threatening comments about ‘getting rid of people.’”

“Your threats and intimidation, harassment, business disruption, and abusive and unreasonable behavior are unfair to the AT&T representatives.”

“If you enter AT&T’s store at 4874 Commercial Drive in New York Mills, NY, or any other AT&T branded store or facility, this will be considered an act of trespass against AT&T and the police will be called.”

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When police asked several employees about this behavior, they explained they did not necessarily feel the threats were directed at them, Swenszkowski said. Instead, they said, Dickan seemed to express his frustrations with people of different ethnic backgrounds and generally suggested that they be eliminated by shooting them, Swenszkowski said.

These incidents occurred several months prior to Thursday’s shooting, Swenszkowski said. In hindsight, Swenszkowski recommended any store employee should feel obligated to alert law enforcement any time a customer says potentially dangerous things.

“I understand people don’t want to get involved sometimes, but if someone’s willing to give their life to a cause or is determined to make something happen without worrying about the consequences, it’s almost near impossible to stop them unless we know about it prior,” Swenszkowski said.

On April 5, New York Mills police contacted the Oneida County Office of Pistol Permit Licensing, which resulted in Dickan’s permit being suspended on April 8, officials said. Utica police then seized Dickan’s .38-caliber revolver from his South Utica home on April 14.

Dickan’s permit was first issued in 1954, and it allowed Dickan to legally carry a concealed registered weapon.

At Dickan’s request, a suspension hearing took place on May 21 in front of Carl Del Buono, law clerk to Oneida County Court Judge Michael L. Dwyer. Serving as the county’s pistol licensing officer, Dwyer permanently revoked Dickan’s permit on Monday due to Dickan’s lack in “judgment and good moral character,” according to the decision.

Dickan hadn’t been in the store ever since AT&T’s letter warned him to stay away two months ago, until he learned he wouldn’t get his firearm back, Swenszkowski said.

The gun that Dickan used in Thursday’s shooting, however, was a .357 Magnum revolver and police still are trying to find out where he obtained that weapon.

March 31: AT&T sends letter to Dickan banning him from the Commercial Drive wireless store for racial slurs toward employees, displaying a weapon, and threats of “getting rid of people.” The letter is also forwarded to the New York Mills Police Department, marking the first time local police become aware of Dickan’s troubling behavior.

Early April: New York Mills police Officer James Toomey inquires about AT&T’s letter and talks to store employees, who tell him that Dickan often seemed frustrated with racial minorities and suggested that they should be eliminated with his gun.

Page 3 of 3 - April 5: New York Mills police contact the Oneida County Office of Pistol Permit Licensing about Dickan’s behavior.

April 8: Dickan’s pistol permit to carry a concealed registered handgun is suspended.